Aston Villa need Premier League football to keep Sam Johnstone, but Championship rivals Cardiff City are reportedly interested in making a move for the shot-stopper.
There is a lot riding on next Saturday’s Championship play-off final.
Defeat to Fulham at Wembley will not only deny Aston Villa a route back into the Premier League – it could also kill off their hopes of signing Sam Johnstone on a permanent basis from Manchester United.
Cardiff obviously have the added advantage in that they are a Premier League team now and could entice Johnstone to South Wales by offering him the chance to play top flight football for the first time in his career.
Johnstone has been on loan at Aston Villa since January 2017 and has shone under Steve Bruce, who has made no secret of the fact he would love to keep the Manchester United prospect in the Midlands on a full-time basis. But Aston Villa’s hopes seem to rest entirely on promotion.
The Mail reports that Manchester United would want £5 million for the shot-stopper, who hasn’t even made his debut for the Old Trafford club. Thanks to Financial Fair Play restrictions, however, Aston Villa would be unlikely to afford that fee if they are still a Championship team next season. So another year without Premier League football might just see Johnstone up sticks with Cardiff.
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